Another article published on the Financial Times. After its introduction:

Many of us struggle to find real happiness. Why is that? Studies in psychology suggest that part of the reason is that most of us are very bad at predicting how we’ll react when faced with many of life’s experiences. Consequently, we end up making choices that are potentially harmful to our emotional well-being. According to Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert, we tend to overestimate, by a long way, the extent and duration of the emotional impacts of, say, a pay rise, the death of a loved one, or even moving to an area that’s sunny all year round. This is simply because, when we’re trying to imagine how an experience will affect us emotionally, we tend to focus too much of our attention on the most salient features of the experience in question.

the article procedes with its seven secrets to a happy life:
1. Money buys you little happiness
2. Friends are worth more than a new Ferrari
3. Winning the lottery won’t make you instantly happy
4. Losing your job makes you unhappy – but less so when others have too
5. Fat friends make you happier than thin ones
6. Divorce can make you happy
7. Happiness is contagious
Full article available on http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9a4d4a64-b0b9-11df-8c04-00144feabdc0.html